Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-06-26

ever . glad house, Buffalo Springs ranch
was one the night Of his return. He
rode, herded stock and became a famous
shot even among such men as John and
the old trappers. The mother taught
him TO read and write, and he became
the one reader of that region, devouring
everything in print that came in his way.
Two years passed away, and then the
emigrant family resumed their long in
terrupted journey to the Pacific, and
Little Coyote consented to stay on the
strength Of Johns promise that they
would o follow. The family stopped
in Idaho and went to ranching and stock
raising.
Time went by, and the steam engine
cam putting up the Platte, driving buff
falo, coaches, freight wagons, ranches,
and forts before it. John pulled up
stakes" as he called il, and with "Little
Coyote went to Idaho. We heard that
he stopped in the same valley with our
emigrant family, and took up his old
business again, but the days of big money
making were gone, and although he had
made piles Of it, his heart was too Zig,
and his hand too open to keep it. The
emigrant family did not flourish, either.
The husband was a go-easy fellow, and
willing for a fortune to come to him.
We heard from time to time these rumors
of our Buffalo Springs friends, and then
that the Indians had raided the valley in
which they lived, killed the husband,
wounded John, and run off all the stock;
that Little Coyote" joined the settlers
and followed the ~retreating savages and
wreaked a bloody revenge upon them.
Many more years went by. Our gar
rison was scattered from the Atlantic %
the Pacific, and the stirring scenes of
those days were fast being forgotten. My
rambles took me to Idaho, and / inquired
for my former friends. They were well
known there, big hearted John being as
much of a favorite as he had been on the
Platte. His ranch had always been the
headquarters of all the old frontiersmen,
and they had always been welcome so
long as there had been anything for them
to eat. The widowed mother and baby
had struggled along for years to make a
living, and at last had gone to California
to Join relatives there. John and Little
Coyote" had assisted them in every way,
and at last promised to Join them again
when they made their pile. Little
Coyote had grown up to be a big active
man, and had developed a great talent
for business, had mined, owned cattle,
horses, and sheep, given money to John
and sent him on to find the mother and
baby and make them comfortable, and nj
last sold out there and followed them to
the coast, and thus passed out of the fur.
ther knowledge of Idaho people.
More years went by, and that impulse
which takes all Americans toward the
setting sun brought the writer to Califor.
MIA, and, Unexpectedly, face to face with
the principal actors in the discovery Of
Little Coyote"
In n of the prettiest little valleys OF
this state, in a large, old fashioned house
with broad verandas, under wide branch
ing shade trees, looking out upon orchards
and vineyards, you may see big, brave
John, as tender hearted and good natured
as ever; the mother, with threads of ell.
yer in the gold of her hair, but with the
same beautiful and charming face thai
excited the admiration of the rough peo-
pie Of the Platte; Little Coyote now
a broad shouldered man, and his wife.
the ''baby" we were 20 anxious to rock
in the little old shoe box. There are more
little coyotes around that big house, but
they don't call them by that name, and
they don't have the pitiful and pinched
look Of our Little Coyote" when we first
saw him. Among the most cherished
things in that house are the little she's
box, with its cottonwood rockers, and the
little old moccasins, leegings, torn blanket
and some eagle feathers, the dress Of
Little Coyote when he first appeared t.
us. They seem to be about as happy 9
family as there is on this earth, and il
you go there and catch John alone you
can hear a much better story Of how
Little Coyote was discovered than ]
have told you'll. Latham in San Fran.
cisco Chronicle.